Chapter 18. Adaptation

Chapter 18. Adaptation

I struck the back of the nearest Zombie’s head with a short, downward swing. With a moderately powerful swing, the Zombie’s head exploded.

*This much force is enough.*

I still couldn’t accurately gauge the durability of a Zombie’s head. It seemed I’d need a bit more practice to adjust my strength to the appropriate level.

Kwargh!

Immediately after its comrade’s head burst, the suit-clad Zombie in front of the Apartment 2001 door lunged at me. I kicked it squarely in the solar plexus, sending it flying. The creature, struck by my kick, flew back, crashed into the elevator door, and collapsed.

I could feel my strength had increased.

*Stay calm.*

Zombies only blindly try to bite people. Even if I couldn’t finish them in one go, reacting this way allowed me to maintain distance and reduced the risk of being bitten. I realized once again that I wasn’t fighting intelligent humans. Seeing Zombies that looked outwardly intact, similar to people, made me constantly mistake them for humans. In a way, dealing with monsters driven only by the instinct to bite was easier than fighting actual people.

Kwargh!

Whoosh! Thwack!

As I kicked the suit-clad Zombie, another Zombie charged at me from the stairwell. I immediately swung my Baseball Bat horizontally, striking the airborne Zombie’s head. Its head detached from its body. I quickly moved to dodge the falling Zombie’s body, then finished off the suit-clad Zombie that was just getting back up.

“Hoo.”

Despite my initial tension, I had easily dealt with three Zombies. Barely any blood splattered, and I hadn’t expended much stamina. Thanks to increasing my Body Reinforcement, the difficulty of fighting Zombies had significantly decreased. I had initially planned to save up some Acquired points, but I changed my mind and invested everything into Body Reinforcement.

* Transformation: Optimization

* Increased Resilience (10), Body Reinforcement (10)

* Acquired: 0

I had set both Increased Resilience and Body Reinforcement to level 10. Since I wasn’t in a comfortable situation yet, I decided to postpone accumulating Acquired points. Investing to reliably deal with Zombies as quickly as possible was the priority.

Squeeze!

With Body Reinforcement increased, I tightened my grip on the Baseball Bat. Since it was at 10, shouldn’t I feel a change? The effects of Body Reinforcement I currently felt were increased stamina and enhanced strength. Just from the term “Body Reinforcement,” it seemed like there should be a broader range of effects, but I hadn’t fully grasped them yet.

“Hmm.”

No dramatic scenario like the handle I was gripping shattering, as in comics or movies, occurred. Was it because my strength hadn’t increased so much that I couldn’t control it? As I descended the stairs, I repeatedly tensed and relaxed my grip.

*I’m not sure.*

As I gained more experience fighting Zombies, I would develop more techniques. How to move my body, what amount of strength was appropriate, how much tension to maintain, and so on. Just reviewing the recent fight, I was already very different from how I was yesterday. I was steadily accumulating data. These were experiences I could never gain by just hiding. Every experience would become my flesh and blood.

I reached the first floor. I cautiously moved, surveying my surroundings.

*It’s quiet.*

Now, no sounds could be heard from the vicinity. Distant, faint explosions or human screams—everything had vanished. Feeling isolated in a ruined world, I headed towards the Convenience Store in the apartment complex’s commercial area. Inside the Convenience Store, I picked up various items, experimenting to see how much stronger I had become.

*It would be great if I could go to a gym.*

Rustle.

Sitting at the counter, munching on a drink and snacks, I organized my thoughts. Seeing that the snack in my hand was intact, I had no problem controlling my strength for everyday tasks. It meant I wasn’t in a situation where I couldn’t control my own strength. My strength had definitely increased, but I couldn’t gauge its limits. I needed to find something heavier.

*Let’s go.*

After a short break at the Convenience Store, I stepped out onto the road to head to the building with the Drum Academy. Abandoned cars lined the street. I waited quietly, observing, but there was no sign of movement. I emerged from behind a hidden SUV and started walking.

*Hmm… should I try lifting it?*

A thought suddenly occurred to me: *An SUV this size must weigh several hundred kilograms, right?* I walked to the front of the SUV and set my Baseball Bat down beside me for a moment. I stood close, pressing my body against the bumper. Bending my knees, I took a stance.

“Hup.”

I inhaled, tightening my core muscles. As I took the stance, I felt my hip joints were more flexible. Taking a stance similar to a deadlift, I understood clearly. Body Reinforcement not only increased stamina and strength but also improved the body itself. My flexibility and range of motion had definitely improved. I also felt that the imbalance I had developed from swinging a Baseball Bat as a right-handed batter for nearly 10 years had been corrected.

*Wow… so hip joints can feel this comfortable.*

Aligning my spine, I exerted force and lifted the vehicle’s body. I didn’t know how much it weighed, but I had a feeling I could lift it all the way. It wasn’t overly strenuous. Tucking my hips, I straightened my legs and back. After fully lifting the front of the car, I simply let go. The sound of the front wheels hitting the ground echoed louder than I expected. It was probably because the street was so quiet.

*Insane.*

I didn’t know how much this SUV weighed. I hadn’t completely lifted the vehicle; only the front part was raised, with the rear wheels still on the ground. Still, I had successfully performed a 1RM with an SUV. Highly excited, I looked around, searching for an even larger vehicle. Then, I slapped my cheeks with both hands and snapped back to reality. I quickly picked up the Baseball Bat I had set down and took a deep breath. Intoxicated by my newfound strength, I had momentarily forgotten the situation I was in. This was no time to leisurely show off my strength in the middle of the road. It would be better to conduct accurate measurements in a safer situation.

I resumed walking, heading towards the Convenience Store in the Drum Academy building. Upon entering the Convenience Store, I saw its chaotic interior. Someone had clearly been here; the shelves were much emptier than before.

*Damn.*

I had come intending to take more over-the-counter medicine sold at the Convenience Store, but there was nothing left. My backpack was large, so I checked if there was anything else worth taking. What had mostly disappeared from the shelves were ready-to-eat food items. It was a relief that other items were still quite abundant. When I was packing my survival bag, I found that Ziploc-type plastic bags were quite useful. I packed all sizes of them, and also grabbed sanitary pads and tampons from right next to them. From the counter area, I also took snacks like gum and jelly.

*People’s thoughts are all so similar.*

Just like whoever had been here, we also initially focused on Farming high-calorie foods. This time, I was Farming with a more long-term perspective. As I got greedy, there was just too much to take. I packed all the cigarettes I usually smoked and lighters. Lighters could be useful in various situations.

*I should check the storage room too.*

It seemed whoever had been here hadn’t looted the storage room. Opening the boxes stacked in the storage room, I found rice packaged in small 4kg bags. If they had checked, there’s no way the rice would have been left completely untouched like this.

*Do Convenience Stores normally sell rice?*

Thinking, *What does it matter?* I moved the rice, box and all. Into the remaining space in my backpack, I swept in all sorts of seasonings: salt, pepper, chili powder, and so on. My backpack swelled, as if screaming for help. After that, I picked up the box of rice.

A heavy backpack on my shoulders.

A Baseball Bat tucked under my arm.

A 48kg box of rice in both hands.

*This feels a bit precarious.*

As I left the Convenience Store, I felt like I had been too greedy. My vision was fine, but it was because both my hands were tied up.

*I’m practically a golden goblin, aren’t I?*

Feeling like a walking treasure trove from some hidden lair, I walked down the quiet street. Next time, I should bring Seonyoung and Gayoung to completely clear out the rest of the Convenience Store.

“You’re back!”

“Whoa. What’s all this? Give it here.”

I had returned safely. Gayoung had also woken up while I was out.

“No, it’s heavy. I’ll put it down in the kitchen; just help me organize it.”

I casually kicked off my shoes and set the box down on the kitchen table. The load I carried was at least over 60kg. The rice alone was almost 50kg, and the seasonings also weighed quite a bit. Although the distance wasn’t far, climbing five flights of stairs hadn’t exhausted me much. Only my breathing had become a little ragged. Experiencing this improvement in stamina and strength firsthand made me feel a growing affection for my abilities. I wanted to enhance them even faster.

“Oof. And the backpack here.”

The two women clung to the box and backpack as if they had received a long-awaited delivery. It seemed I didn’t need to help them. I headed to the study to find another large backpack. This time, I planned to just take an empty bag and go Farming. Because the things I left behind at the Convenience Store were still lingering in my mind. It seemed I could just quickly go and come back alone, without waiting for the two women.

“I’m going out one more time. Is there anything specific you need?”

“Uncle, are you the Hulk? How did you carry all this?”

“I increased my abilities, so my strength got much greater. It was fine.”

As I came back into the kitchen, Gayoung exclaimed in admiration.

“Oppa, if there are any power banks, could you please grab them? But are you really sure it’s safe?”

“Of course. I still have plenty of leeway. I’ve dealt with all the Zombies on the upper floors here, and there wasn’t a single ant-sized Zombie all the way to the Convenience Store.”

“You killed Zombies by yourself?”

“Uh? Yeah.”

Seonyoung stared at me with a stiff expression at my words about dealing with the Zombies. She told me to talk about it later and to be careful on my way. The phrase “talk about it later” suddenly sounded ominous. It didn’t feel like the kind of “let’s postpone it because I’m busy now” you’d hear at work.

*But what does she want to talk about later?*

Feeling a vague unease, I prepared to leave again. Seonyoung was already chatting with Gayoung, a bright smile on her face. Seeing her smile, it probably wasn’t a big deal.

“Oh~ Oppa? Unnie! While I was sleeping? Hehehe. And you’re even using informal speech.”

“It’s not like that. We’ve known each other for years. What… what’s with that look?”

Gayoung poked Seonyoung’s side, teasing her. It really wasn’t like that. The two kept whispering, endlessly amused by something. Then, as I put on my shoes by the front door, they both looked my way simultaneously. I felt a strong urge to get out of here immediately.

“I’m heading out.”

I nodded at their warning to be careful, then quickly opened the door and stepped out. I went down half a flight of stairs, opened a window, and lit a cigarette.

*Ah, right. Schneider… I shouldn’t let my guard down.*

Perhaps swept up in the mood, my vigilance had loosened when I opened the door. It also seemed to be because I was now confident I could defeat Zombies, as long as they weren’t in a horde. But when things go too smoothly, one’s guard naturally drops, and accidents are bound to happen. I couldn’t stay tense all the time even inside the apartment, but I definitely needed to tighten the reins on my vigilance whenever I stepped outside.