Chapter 5. Change

Chapter 5. Change

Emergency disaster news was broadcasting across all channels.

The cause was still unknown, but the reports stated that Zombie outbreaks had occurred simultaneously across the entire nation.

I opened MeTube.

All sorts of surreal videos were being uploaded in real-time.

Comparing the Zombies I had personally witnessed to those in the videos, it was clear that the transformed beings were no longer human.

Their intelligence was diminished, and they retained no memories from their former lives.

In crude terms, they were something that wouldn’t even recognize their own parents.

They were, quite literally, monsters.

Zombies detected humans by relying on sight and hearing, displaying intense aggression.

Their goal didn’t seem to be to devour and sate their hunger, but rather to attack and infect.

Their physical capabilities couldn’t be precisely measured, but they appeared superior to those of an average person.

‘That’s why they can overpower even an adult male.’

However, based on my experience, their physical durability seemed somewhat lacking.

If you attacked their weak point, the head, they couldn’t withstand it and would burst apart.

Perhaps because they bore so many similarities to the Zombies people had imagined, everyone in the videos also used the term “Zombie.”

“Haa… Ugh.”

After staring at my Cell Phone screen for about 30 minutes, I turned it off.

Just in case, I should conserve battery.

Sitting idly, a craving for a cigarette began to rise.

Given the situation, wouldn’t it be alright to smoke indoors?

Click, click.

With a dull throb, I stared blankly out the window and saw a Zombie moving inside the blue tent.

Its movements weren’t vigorous, but it slowly changed its position and the direction it was facing.

In contrast, the five Zombies outside the tent, exposed to the rain, remained perfectly still.

‘Hmm… I don’t know.’

The ones in the rain seemed to be standing still, but how could I possibly know what they were thinking?

Were they even capable of thought?

They seemed to move purely on instinct.

‘But why is she taking so long?’

More than 30 minutes had passed without a word, and I suddenly felt worried.

My body temperature had dropped significantly, and I started to shiver.

‘Wait. Shit?’

Could Seonyoung have done something drastic?

What if she had?

I should go to the door, call out quietly, and if there’s no answer, I’ll have to check.

It’s absolutely not because I want to peek.

I approached the closed Shower Room door.

I planned to open it slightly and call out first.

Click!

The moment I grabbed the doorknob, the door swung open.

‘Haa, the timing… seriously.’

Seonyoung had opened it from the other side.

“Huh? Team Leader?”

“Ah… it was taking a while, so I was going to ask if everything was alright.”

I stammered, making an excuse in a hurry.

As I spoke, I noticed all of Seonyoung’s clothes in her hands.

Water was dripping from them, making me wonder if she had washed them.

Gulp.

A blush spread across Seonyoung’s face.

Perhaps because she had just washed up, her skin looked exceptionally fair.

A large Blanket was wrapped around her slender neck and soft-looking shoulders.

Below that, the Blanket concealed her, but since her clothes were all in her hands, well.

She looked a little comical, wearing a Blanket and sneakers.

“My clothes felt so grimy… It’s raining, so they probably won’t dry, but it took a while to wash them roughly. The bloodstains were hard to get out.”

“Ah… I was worried.”

Seonyoung rambled, seemingly embarrassed by the situation.

Seeing her like this, after only ever seeing her sharp and capable at work, made her seem different.

Until now, I had only seen her as a competent colleague.

“Team Leader. Please use this. Take your time. I’ll keep watch in the hallway.”

“Alright. Give me those clothes too. I’ll wring them out as much as I can and bring them out. They’re dripping wet.”

I took the Toiletry Bag and Seonyoung’s clothes and entered the Shower Room.

A pleasant warmth lingered inside the Shower Room, and I saw toiletries, skin care products, and lotions gathered in one corner.

‘Why did she bring out the Toiletry Bag?’

Pushing that sudden question aside, I quickly stripped off my clothes.

Turning on the warm water and letting it soak my body felt truly melting.

I wanted to enjoy this moment a little longer, but the thought of Seonyoung being alone in the hallway made me uneasy.

I diligently moved my languid body, quickly finished showering, and roughly washed my clothes.

Squelch!

I wrung out my clothes and Seonyoung’s clothes as much as possible.

‘No underwear.’

Strangely, I felt a slight sense of regret.

I put on my wet briefs and the Airism undershirt I had been wearing, then slipped into my shoes barefoot.

On my way out, I caught sight of myself in the Changing Room mirror, and a moment of sobering realization washed over me.

‘Just a pot-bellied old man.’

After I stopped exercising, working at the company had caused me to gain a lot of flab.

No one had ever called me fat, but standing there in just my underwear and shoes, a wave of embarrassment swept over me.

‘So that’s why Seonyoung was rambling earlier.’

I tried my best to maintain a composed expression as I opened the door.

“Seonyoung. Have you been waiting long?”

“Status Window!!!”

The words came simultaneously with my question.

Seonyoung looked back at me, her fists clenched tightly and her face flushed crimson.

We entered the Supply Room without a word.

The air was a little awkward.

Click.

Just in case, I locked the door, and I saw her flinch.

Above that, her ears were visible, red as if they would be hot to the touch.

“Team Leader. Have you tried saying ‘Status Window’?”

Seonyoung asked in a small voice.

At the same time, I thought to myself.

‘Status Window… Ah! Was it because of what Jinsu said last?’

As I heard Seonyoung’s question and thought to myself, a screen appeared before my eyes.

No, perhaps it wasn’t before my eyes, but rather in my mind’s eye.

It felt like some phenomenon that became visible the moment I focused on it, difficult to describe concretely.

* Transformation: Optimization

* Increased Resilience

* Acquired: 4

Only three lines.

“Huh? Just now, I heard what Seonyoung said and just thought about it, and something appeared?”

“So it works just by thinking it. I can’t see your Status Window, Team Leader. It seems only you can see your own.”

“But this… it’s too empty to be a game-like Status Window, isn’t it? What does yours say, Seonyoung?”

“Just a moment. There’s a pen and notebook here. My Status Window is simple too.”

* Creation: Shield

* Increased Durability

* Acquired: 0

Comparing our Status Windows, the basic framework was the same, but the content was slightly different.

It was a guess, but “Acquired” seemed to increase by defeating Zombies.

That was based on comparing her actions and mine.

What about the rest?

“Shield.”

I was pondering, looking down at the notebook Seonyoung had handed me.

I heard a small voice, and looking at Seonyoung, her face appeared slightly translucent.

Something was between us.

Tap, tap.

Seonyoung tapped a plastic-like disc floating in the air.

It was roughly 50cm in diameter.

“Team Leader, I think I created this?”

“It looks that way. Does that mean you can literally create a Shield?”

We tested Seonyoung’s Shield with curiosity.

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

Crumble…

After I swung the Baseball Bat at the Shield about three times, it crumbled like sand.

She said she could only create one at a time, and it would disappear if she stopped thinking about it.

We wanted to experiment more with various things, but after creating the fifth Shield, Seonyoung stumbled, a nosebleed gushing.

“I can’t make any more.”

“It’s not unlimited, then. For now, lie down and rest.”

I helped Seonyoung to the sofa and laid her down, then thought about my own Status Window.

I was worried about her sudden nosebleed, but there were no other immediate issues.

“Transformation!”

Seonyoung looked at me with slightly hazy eyes.

We met each other’s gaze in silence for about 10 seconds.

I felt my face flush.

Unlike the Shield, which was visible, I wasn’t sure what had actually transformed.

“I’m not sure what my ability is. I don’t feel anything.”

“It’s not very helpful, is it? We’ll have to think about it over time.”

She was right.

There were no explanations or tips like in-game guides on the Status Window.

“Anyway, I want to check the rooftop… Can you get up?”

“Yes, I can move. I just suddenly felt dizzy, like vertigo. I still can’t use the Shield, though.”

After a little while, Seonyoung’s complexion improved.

Was it because she had overused her ability consecutively?

After checking her condition, we prepared to go out again.

Wail, wail!

As we were talking, a loud siren suddenly blared.

Startled, I looked over and saw Seonyoung hastily pulling out her Cell Phone.

“Team Leader. I got a disaster alert? Look at this.”

The loud siren sound had come from Seonyoung’s Cell Phone.

My Cell Phone was off, so I hadn’t known.

– [Emergency Crisis Response and Safety Department] Severe alert for all regions of the Republic of Korea. This is a real situation. All citizens, please evacuate immediately to your local shelters.

An emergency disaster text message came from a department name I had never seen before.

Several more messages followed, sequentially providing information about shelters and emphasizing that the current situation was a real disaster.

“Seonyoung. They’re telling us to evacuate. What do you think? For an emergency, the message is awfully late.”

“It’s ridiculous, isn’t it? The message is so vague. But is evacuating to a shelter the right thing to do?”

“Exactly. If even one Zombie gets mixed in, everyone could die.”

After a brief discussion, we dismissed the idea of evacuating to a shelter.

We decided to trust the situation we had witnessed and experienced firsthand.

In fact, if people had just opened MeTube, I doubt anyone would head to a shelter.

It would be truly horrific if people bitten by Zombies were confined together in a small space.

I was worried about those who hadn’t yet encountered Zombies, rushing to follow the instructions.

‘I should just focus on myself.’

However, going outside to stop evacuating people was impossible when my own life was in immediate danger.

So, we decided to check the building’s rooftop and then return here to rest.

‘By the way, it’s raining heavily… Do I have to get soaked again?’

I didn’t want to get wet again after washing with warm water.

But if we just stayed put, I feared a Zombie might suddenly appear.

“It would be nice to have an umbrella. I guess I’m asking for too much.”

Everyone was the same.

Just then, I saw a bundle of trash bags rolled up in the corner.

I tore it open to find 10 standard 100-liter trash bags.

It seemed we could just put these over ourselves and go out.

“How about we cut holes for our heads and arms and put these on? We should probably hang our clothes to dry here.”

“Yes, it’s a bit embarrassing, but that sounds like a good idea.”

Surely it was better than putting on wet clothes again.

I used scissors from a shelf to cut holes in a trash bag and put it on.

The feel of the plastic against my bare skin was irritating.

Watching me, Seonyoung got up from the sofa and dramatically removed her Blanket.

She was in her underwear.

‘Oh, wow…’

I deliberately averted my gaze.

Seonyoung didn’t seem to be trying to hide herself, but staring was impolite.

She was wearing a sports bra, so I couldn’t tell precisely, but I could see her substantial chest and faint abdominal muscles below.

She wore black bra and panties, which suited her fair skin well.

Rustle, rustle.

Her remarkably good figure disappeared into the trash bag.

I pictured a man and woman in their underwear, wearing trash bags with holes cut out, each holding a Baseball Bat, and putting on their shoes.

It wasn’t a very pleasant sight.

We looked at each other, felt a slight embarrassment, and then approached the door.

“Seonyoung. Please open the door. Let’s be careful out there.”

“Okay.”

I adjusted my grip on the Baseball Bat and waited for Seonyoung to open the door.

We had just discussed not letting our guard down, as a Zombie, like the Schneider’s Cat Seonyoung mentioned earlier, could have slipped in.

“No, not Schneider’s… No, never mind. I’ll be careful too. Opening it?”

Seonyoung started to say something but stopped.

Then, she gave me a strangely flat, disappointed look before grabbing the doorknob.

‘What? What was that look for?’

I only thought this to myself and nodded.